Method and composition for the treatment of disorders involving immunological dysfunction

ABSTRACT

A method and composition are provided for treatment of disorders involving immunological dysfunction. The invention comprises the administration of a low level of ribonucleotide polymerase protein or a derivative thereof to a human or animal with an immune dysfunction disorder.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/413,921, filed Mar. 29,1995 , now U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,188, which is a continuation of Ser. No.08/046,611 filed Apr. 19, 1993 (abandoned) which is acontinuaton-in-part of Ser. No. 07/871,968 Filed Apr. 22, 1992(abandoned).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a method and composition for thetreatment of a variety of disorders involving immunologicaldysfunctions. More particularly, the present invention relates to thetreatment of certain immunological disorders comprising the step ofadministering ribonucleotide polymerase, or a compound related toribonucleotide polymerase, at very low concentrations to a human oranimal with an immunological dysfunction. In certain situations,synergists, such as glycerin, glutamine or other synergists, can beadministered with the ribonucleotide polymerase to enhance therapeuticactivity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The abnormal functioning of the cell-mediated and/or humoral immuneresponse in animals or humans can result in the manifestation ofdisorders which are not anaphylactic in nature, but result in abnormaltargeting of certain disease tissues. Disorders involving immunologicaldysfunction cause a wide variety of symptoms. Examples ofimmunodeficiency disorders are diseases which mask immune targeting,such as various malignancies, herpes related disorders, Acquired ImmuneDeficiency Syndrome (HIV infections), and diseases in which the hostitself manufactures self-destructive substances including, but notlimited to, systemic lupus erythematosus, arthritis, diabetes,thyroiditis, hemolytic anemia, atrophy orchitis, Goodpasture's disease,autoimmune retinopathy, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, sympatheticophalmia, myasthenia gravis, Grave's disease, primary biliary cirrhosis,chronic aggressive hepatitis, ulcerative colitis, membraneglomerulophathy, dermatitis, laminitis, chronic glomerulonephritis,Sjogren's syndrome, Reiter's syndrome myositis, systemic sclerosispolyarteritis and multiple sclerosis.

In prior years it was believed that an anti-self response was harmfuland that such responses did not occur normally. More recently, it hasbecome apparent that normal immune responses involve self-selfrecognition. Moreover, many individuals produce nonpathogenic antibodiesreactive with self-antigens. As a result, our present understanding isthat disease occurs only when anti-self reactions are either excessiveor productive of especially injurious immune responses.

A disease state resulting from the abnormal targeting of the humoral orcell-mediated response to immunogens (either external or internal) ismanifested by a hypersensitivity response. Such a response is usuallyclassified as one of four types:

Type I

Anaphylactic reactions. These reactions are mediated by IgE antibodieswhich bind to receptors on mast cells. When cross-linking occurs withantigens, the IgE antibodies stimulate the mast cells to release anumber of pharmacologically active substances that can cause thesymptoms characteristic of anaphylaxis. These reactions to antigenicchallenge are immediate and potentially life-threatening. Examples ofType I response include, but are not limited to, allergic rhinitis,gastrointestinal allergy, atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma and equineheaves and laminitis. An autoimmune disorder that involves ananaphylactic reaction is "milk allergy" in cattle.

Type II

Cytotoxic (cytolytic) reactions. These cell surface reactions resultfrom an interaction of antigen with IgM and/or IgG which activates thecomplement cascade, leading to the destruction of the cell. Examples ofType II reactions include, but are not limited to, leukocytopenia,hemolytic disease of newborn and Goodpasture's disease. Autoimmunedisorders that involve cytotoxic/cytolytic reactions are hemolyticanemia, thrombocytopenia and thyroiditis.

Type III

Immune complex reactions. Type III reactions occur when large complexesof antigen and IgG or IgM accumulate in the circulation or in tissue,fixing complement. Granulocytes are attracted to the site of complementfixation and release damaging lytic enzymes from their granules. Anexample of this type of reaction is serum sickness. Autoimmune disordersthat involve Type III reactions include systemic lupus erythrematosus,chronic glomerulonephritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Type IV

Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) reaction, or delayed-type hypersensitivity(DTH). In contrast to the first three types of immune responses, thishypersensitivity response is mediated by T cells rather than antibodies.Activated T cells release lymphokines which can result in theaccumulation and activation of macrophages, K cells and NK cells, whichcause local tissue damage. This reaction can occur 1-2 days afterantigenic challenge. Examples of Type IV reactions include, but are notlimited to, contact dermatitis, tuberculosis, allergic encephalitis,thyroiditis and primary homograft rejection. The autoimmune disorderjuvenile diabetes mellitus may involve this type of reaction.

Under normal circumstances, all of the above types of reactions providethe individual with protection from disease. Hypersensitivity reactions,though operating through the same basic cellular and molecularmechanisms, represent an exaggerated or inappropriate response whichdamages the host. Thus, many of the disease manifestations outlinedabove are referred to as anti-self disorders, or "autoimmune" diseases.

Recently, it has become apparent that normal immune responses do involveself-self recognition. These recognitions are the result of immune cellsreacting with self antigens in a non-pathogenic manner. A disease stateoccurs when anti-self reactions are either excessive or produceespecially injurious immune responses. For example, it is currentlybelieved that many autoreactive clones of T and B cells exist in thenormal state but are regulated by homeostatic mechanisms. It is thebreakdown of these control mechanisms that leads to the activation ofthe autoreactive clones and autoimmune disease.

Although B lymphocytes and their progeny are responsible for antibodyproduction, under most circumstances they require helper T lymphocytefunction for activation and differentiation into antibody-secretingcells. Moreover, helper T cells and their derivative products appearcapable of down-regulating immune responses. If the T cell population isself-tolerant, it may prevent B cells capable of differentiating intoauto-antibody-producing cells from proliferating and differentiating. Adefect in self-tolerance mechanisms could occur at any of several stepsin the immune pathway. Individuals with B cells capable of producingpathogenic auto-antibodies which have been heretofore held in check by Tcells may, under such circumstances, be driven to produce large amountsof injurious antibodies. Because it is the quantity of autoantibody thatdetermines whether or not disease occurs, quantitation aspects of immuneregulation and immune stimulation may be critical to the balance betweendisease development versus relative health with minor immuneabnormalities.

In addition, strong immune stimulation can overwhelm normal regulatorymechanisms and drive B cells to produce antibodies and autoantibodieswithout the usual requirements for, or regulation by, T cells. Examplesof such stimuli include graft-versus-host disease (as after allogenicbone marrow transplantation) or stimulation by any of a variety ofpowerful polyclonal immune activators (endotoxin) or even viruses whichstimulate B cells (Epstein-Barr virus). Curiously, these same antigensmay also prove therapeutic. Enterotoxin has been shown to reduce theseverity of autoimmune lupus nephritis in mice and has protected animalsfrom experimental allergic encephylomyelitis. Just a few hundredmolecules of a substance, a toxin, for instance, can trigger immune cellcommunication and replication.

One example of an autoimmune state where antiself reactions areexcessive, as described above, is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).This disease, of unknown etiology, is characterized by a variety of selfantigens, including nuclear, cytoplasmic and cell membrane antigenicdeterminants. There is no one clinical or laboratory abnormality whichis pathognomonic for the disease. Although anti-DNA antibodies occur inapproximately 70% of patients with SLE, individual patients show markedvariability in their clinical symptomology and laboratory findings. As aresult, criteria have been developed and modified in an attempt toincluded patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and to excludepatients with other disorders including, but not limited to, rheumatoidarthritis, progressive systemic sclerosis, polymyositis and Sjogren'ssyndrome.

Tremendous variability exists in the clinical signs and symptomsmanifested by different patients. In some, periods of heightened diseaseactivity alternate with months or years of reduced disease activity.Such variability demands an individualized approach to prognosis andtherapy. Whereas some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus havelarge amounts of antiDNA and positive LE cell tests, others do not. Atone end of the clinical spectrum are patients with mild illnesscharacterized perhaps by fatigue, arthralgias, sun sensitivity, rash,and antinuclear antibodies. At the other end of the spectrum areindividuals who manifest rapidly progressive renal inflammatory diseaseor severe CNS dysfunction. Most fall between the mildest form whorequire little or no treatment and those with severe major organinvolvement who require intensive therapy. In addition to spontaneousidiopathic systemic lupus erythematosus, the disease may be induced inhumans by certain drugs. Many other animals, i.e., dogs, cats, mink,horses and mice, develop a systemic lupus erythematosus-like syndrome.

Arthritis, in particular rheumatoid arthritis, is another inflammatoryautoimmune disorder. It is a common assumption that genetics andenvironmental factors determine the course of the disease. It typicallybegins as pain, tenderness, and swelling of one or more joints in theextremities. Classically, the involvement is symmetrical, but iscommonly more severe on the dominant side. The small joints of the handsand feet, particularly the proximal interphalangeal,metatarsophalangeal, and metacarpophalangeal joints are involved,although involvement of wrists, ankles, knees, elbows, and hips is alsocommon. Patients positive for rheumatoid factor and antinuclearantibodies at the initiation of their disease also have greaterlikelihood of running an adverse disease course. Skin ulceration is themost common extrareticular manifestation. High titered positive testsfor rheumatoid factors, presence of circulating immune complexes, andmildly depressed complement titers are characteristic of patients withsystemic manifestation. Spavin, in the hock of horses, is of similaretiology.

To date, there is no satisfactory treatment of most diseases caused byimmune dysfunction. What is needed is a method and composition which iseffective in alleviating the symptoms of these diseases without causingother side effects. The method should be safe and effective in treatingsymptoms associated with a wide variety of these diseases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and composition for alleviatingthe symptoms of disease states associated with immunodeficiencies andabnormal humoral and cellular related immune disorders. The presentinvention comprises administration to the human or animal with theimmunologic dysfunction, an effective dose of a ribonucleotidepolymerase or a fraction or derivative thereof. The preferredribonucleotide polymerase is RNA polymerase. The effective dose isextremely low and does not cause side effects, such as an anaphylacticresponse to the ribonucleotide polymerase. In addition, the dose of RNApolymerase that is administered to the human or animal generally willnot elicit an antibody response.

It has been found that the administration of extremely low amounts ofribonucleotide polymerase to a human or animal with an immunedysfunction causes the mitigation or elimination of the symptoms of theimmune dysfunction. The ribonucleotide polymerase can be administered incombination with synergists to enhance its therapeutic effect. Examplesof these synergists include, but are not limited to, glycerin,glutamine, histamine and neuraminidase.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide amethod and composition for treating disorders involving immunologicaldysfunction.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand composition for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand composition for the treatment of laminitis.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand composition for the treatment of dermatitis.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand composition for the treatment of arthritis.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand composition for the treatment of autoimmune retinopathy disorderssuch as Voyt-Aoyanagi-Harada syndrome.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand composition for the treatment of malignancies.

It is yet another object of the present invention to treat certaininfectious diseases such as AIDS.

These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparentafter a review of the following detailed description of the disclosedembodiments and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of the response of DBA/IJ mice toimmunization with collagen II.

FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of the antibody response of DBA/IJmice to immunization with collagen II.

FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of the response to varioustreatments of DBA/IJ mice that have locked joints in response to theadministration of collagen II.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the term "ribonucleotide polymerase" means any proteinthat has ribonucleotide polymerase activity or has an amino acidsequence that is substantially similar to a protein which hasribonucleotide polymerase activity. The ribonucleotide polymeraseincludes, but is not limited to, ribonucleic acid (RNA polymerase)polymerase and reverse transcriptase. The ribonucleotide polymerase thatcan be used to practice the present invention can also be an inactivatedenzyme or part of the enzyme.

The term "immunological dysfunction" includes, but is not limited to,any immunodeficiency disorder characterized by failure of the immunesystem and its associated systems to mount an immune response, and/orhumoral and cell mediated injury as a result of external or internalimmunogen substances. The term also includes aberrant immune responsessuch as those observed in autoimmune diseases.

The term "therapeutically effective amount of ribonucleotide polymerase"as used herein means an amount of ribonucleotide polymerase sufficientto mitigate or eliminate the symptoms of an immunological dysfunctiondisorder. Representative preferred doses and concentrations aredisclosed herein.

The term "synergist", as used herein, means any compound or compositionthat will enhance the therapeutic effect of the RNA polymerase.

The present invention provides a method and composition for alleviatingthe symptoms of disease states associated with immune dysfunction. Thepresent invention comprises administration to the human or animal withthe immune dysfunction an effective dose of ribonucleotide polymerase ora fraction or derivative thereof. The effective dose is extremely lowand does not cause an anaphylactic response to the ribonucleotidepolymerase-type protein.

In practice, the present invention comprises the administration of lessthan approximately 10⁻² mg per dosage unit of ribonucleotide polymeraseto a human or animal with an immune dysfunction. A preferred dose ofribonucleotide polymerase or active derivative thereof is betweenapproximately 10⁻² mg to 10⁻⁸ mg. A more preferred dose ofribonucleotide polymerase is between approximately 10⁻³ mg and 10⁻⁷ mg.The most preferred dose of ribonucleotide polymerase is approximately10⁻⁴ mg. Preferably, the total periodic daily dosage does not exceedabout 10⁻² mg per subject, and still more preferably does not exceedfrom about 5×10⁻³ to 10⁻⁴ mg. Thus, the present invention encompasses acomposition comprising a solution of ribonucleotide polymerase or anactive derivative thereof that is present in the solution at aconcentration of between approximately 10⁻³ to 10⁻⁷ mg.

Because there may be a significant variation in specific activity of RNApolymerase from lot to lot and from manufacturer to manufacturer,depending upon such factors as source of the enzyme, method ofpurification and other factors, it is preferred that the dose of RNApolymerase be expressed as "units of activity." The definition of a unitof activity for RNA polymerase varies depending on the source of the RNApolymerase. The term "unit" is defined by the individual manufacturers.Definitions quoted from several manufacturers, and including reversetranscriptase, are provided below:

A. RNA polymerase from E. coli K-12 (Sigma Chemical Company): "One unitwill release 1.0 nanomole (10⁻⁹ mole) of PP, in 10 minutes at pH 7.9 at37° C. using calf thymus DNA as template."

B. T₃ RNA polymerase (RNA polymerase from bacteriophage T₃, PharmaciaBiotech, Inc.): "One unit catalyzes the incorporation of 1 nmole of AMPinto acid-insoluble product in 50 μl of assay buffer in 60 minuts at 37°C., using a plasmid containing a T₃ promoter."

C. AMV reverse transcriptase, (Promega Corporation): "One unit isdefined as the amount of enzyme required to catalyze the incorporationof 1 nmol of dTTP into acid insoluble form in 10 minutes at 37° C. in0.05M Tris-HCl, pH 8.3, 40 mM KCl, 7 mM MgCl₂, 10 mM DTT, 0.1 mg/ml BSA,0.5 mM ³ H-dTTP, and 130 μg/ml rA₄₀₀ : dT₅₀, 10:1."

D. M-MLV reverse transcriptase, RNase H Minus (Promega Corporation):"One unit is the amount of enzyme which incorporates 1 nmole of dTTPinto acid insoluble form in 10 minutes at 37° C. in 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH8.3, 40 mM KCl, 10 mM DTT, 7 mM MgCl₂, 0.1 mg/ml BSA, 0.5 mM ³ H-dTTPand 130 μg/ml rA₄₀₀ : dT₅₀, 10:1." (Note: This is the same definition asfor C., but is worded differently in the catalog.)

Promega Corporation, which supplies reverse transcriptase, does notprovide information about the amount of protein in a given lot ofreverse transcriptase, therefore specific activity, cannot be accuratelycalculated. Promega provides units/ml, which is typically 20,000-25,000units per ml for AMV reverse transcriptase and 100,000-200,000 units perml for M-MLV reverse transcriptase. For our calculation purposes we areassuming a protein concentration of a 1 mg/ml. Therefore, the specificactivity of reverse transcriptase is very different from that of RNApolymerase.

Also, the two sources of RNA polymerase vary considerably in theirspecific activities. RNA polymerase from E. coli K-12 has a specificactivity range of 1000-5000 units/mg; T₃ RNA polymerase has a specificactivity range of 200,000-400,000 units/mg. These differences were takeninto account in the protein range calculations of the present invention.

Thus, in practicing the present invention, one can measure the specificactivity of the RNA polymerase and then use the amount of enzyme thathas a total activity of between 0.0004 units and 4000 units whichcorresponds to a protein range of between approximately 1×10⁻⁹ to 4.0mg. The preferred range of RNA polymerase activity is between 0.04 to100 units with the most preferred range of between 0.1 and 10 units ofactivity.

In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a pharmaceuticalcomposition comprising a vehicle for the administration ofribonucleotide polymerase, or a fraction or derivative thereof, whichcomprises an amount of up to about 10⁻² mg ribonucleotide polymerase, orfraction or derivative thereof, and pharmaceutically inert ingredients.In a preferred aspect, the pharmaceutical composition has an amount ofbetween approximately 10⁻² to about 10⁻⁸ mg ribonucleotide polymerase orfraction or derivative thereof. The preferred volume in which the RNApolymerase is present is between approximately 0.05 ml and 0.5 ml.However, other dose volumes are acceptable in practicing the presentinvention.

The present invention comprises the administration of an amount not toexceed approximately 10⁻² mg per 24 hour period, although, in certaincases, the total amount of ribonucleotide polymerase administered in anyone day may exceed the preferred limit. The ribonucleotide polymerasecan be administered as a liquid or it can be administered as a solidwherein the ribonucleotide polymerase is embedded or admixed in abiodegradable or bioerodible matrix. The matrix can be a time releasematrix. These matrices are well known to those of ordinary skill in theart and are not critical to the present invention. The ribonucleotidepolymerase can be administered by subcutaneous injection or bysublingual route. The RNA polymerase can also be administered viaintramuscular injection, intraperitoneal injection or intravenousinjection. The RNA polymerase can also be administered transdermally orthrough mucosal membranes. The preferred route of administration of theRNA polymerase is by subcutaneous injection or by sublingual route.

In another embodiment, the ribonucleotide polymerase can be administeredwith other compounds to enhance its therapeutic effect. An example ofribonucleotide polymerase being used in combination with other immunesystem affecting molecules (synergists) include, but are not limited to,glycerin at a dose of between approximately 5×10⁻¹ mg to 2×10⁻⁸ mg perdose, glutamine at a dose of between approximately 2.2×10⁻² mg to 2×10⁻⁸mg per dose, neuraminidase at a dose of between approximately 10⁻² mg to10⁻⁸ mg, or histamine at a dose of between approximately 10⁻² mg to 10⁻⁸mg.

In one embodiment, the vehicle is an aqueous solution that is containedwithin an inert container. In another variation, the composition is inthe form of a suppository. The liquid form of the composition ispreferably injected subcutaneously, although other routes of injectionare contemplated as part of the present invention. In addition, thecomposition can be administered through the mucosal membranes, such asnasal membranes. The liquid carrier includes, but is not limited to,0.1% phenol in saline (0.9% NaCl). Other pharmaceutically acceptablecarriers can be used to administer the ribonucleotide polymerase.

The ribonucleotide polymerases that can be used in practicing thepresent invention include, but are not limited to, RNA polymerase(Nucleoside triphosphate: RNA nucleotydyltransferase DNA-directed!;EC2.7.7.6), and reverse transcriptase (RNA-directed DNA polymerase, DNAnucleotydyl transferase RNA-directed!, revertase, EC 2.7.7.49). It is tobe noted that the ribonucleotide polymerase can be either enzymaticallyactive or enzymatically inactive. In addition, proteins withsubstantially similar amino acid sequences as the native enzymes can beused in practicing the present invention. It is also contemplated aspart of the present invention that the ribonucleotide polymerase can beadministered as a mixture of different ribonucleotide polymerases. It isto be understood that the source of ribonucleic acid polymerase is notcritical to the present invention. For example, RNA polymerase from E.coli and from the bacteriophage T3 are both effective in carrying outthe present invention.

The ribonucleotide polymerase can be administered by standard methods,including, but not limited to, intramuscular and subcutaneous routes.The ribonucleotide polymerase can also be administered by sublingual andintranasal routes. Because the effective amount of ribonucleotidepolymerase in a dose is low, the composition according to the presentinvention can also be administered transdermally, anally or orally. Thedosage units can be either liquid or solid. Typically, the dosage unitmay be administered up to a maximum of about 4 times per day although alarger number of doses may be administered in certain cases.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples, whichare not to be construed in any way as imposing limitations upon thescope thereof. On the contrary, it is to be clearly understood thatresort may be had to various other embodiments, modifications andequivalents thereof which, after reading the description herein, maysuggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit of the present invention and/or the scope of the appendedclaims.

EXAMPLE I Collagen Type II Induced Arthritis Model in DBA/IJ Mice

A model for investigating the autoimmunity in arthritis using collagentype II (CII) with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) to induceinflammatory arthritis in murine animals was initially reported byTrentham, et al., (See Trentham, D. E. et al., "Autoimmunity to type IIcollagen: an experimental model of arthritis", J. Exp. Med., Vol. 146,pp. 857-868, 1977). Other types of collagen, as well as injecting thecollagen with Freund's adjuvant, complete or incomplete did not inducepolyarthritis. Daily clinical examination of the animals established thetime of onset of arthritis after injection with the CII-CFA as 14 to 60days. In subsequent investigations using the DBA/IJ strain of inbredmice, similarly using the CII-CFA, the mice developed an inflammatorypolyarthritis in 4 to 5 weeks. These studies also showed that in theabsence of CFA or with any other type of collagen, the animals did notdevelop arthritis. The progression of the arthritic condition ultimatelyled to the locking of one or more limbs. Both humoral and cellularimmune responses to collagen type II appear to be involved in arthriticinduction. The immune system has been shown to play a critical role inthe disease progression. Autoimmunity to proteins normally found in thejoint, such as collagen type II, has been observed in this arthriticanimal model.

DBA/IJ mice were obtained from Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Me. Themice were 7 to 10 weeks old. The mice were maintained in groups of twoor three in polycarbonate cages. The mice were fed standard laboratorychow and were given water ad libidum. The collagen type II used in thesestudies was prepared as previously described in Trentham, et al. A pilotstudy was performed to show that the CII would induce arthritis beforeit was used in the controlled study. The mice were injectedintradermally at the base of the tail with 0.1 ml containing 100 μg ofCII emulsified in an equal volume of CFA. An identical booster was give15 days later. Mice were examined daily for signs of swelling of thelimbs as described previously. Arthritis was considered to be fullymanifested when the animal had one limb locked (unable to bend at thejoint). This usually occurred between 30 to 35 days after the initialCII injection.

Five days prior to the initial collagen injection. four treatment groupsof 8 mice each were established:

saline control group

Mice treated with dimethylglycine (DMG)

Mice treated with Perna*

RNA polymerase

Each mouse was given a daily subcutaneous injection of 0.1 ml of therespective test drugs throughout the study. When the saline control micedeveloped arthritis, the study was terminated, except for 14 mice withlocked limbs, which were then treated and observed for reversal ofsymptoms. For the reversal study two treatment groups of seven mice eachwere given daily 0.1 ml subcutaneous injections of either saline controlor RNA polymerase. The RNA polymerase for this study was prepared byusing a concentration of 0.4 units (0.15 μg) of enzyme per dose. Theenzyme concentrate was first inactivated in 0.4% phenol saline for 4hours, then diluted with sterile saline for injection. The controlsaline was similarly treated. Blood samples from the retro-orbital sinusof the mice were taken at weekly intervals. The serum was collected andstored frozen at -20° C. for antibody assays to be performed at a latertime. The dose of DMG was 100 μg/kg body weight and the dose of Pernawas 1.3 g/kg body weight.

An initial inflammatory response, followed by a rheumatoidarthritic-like condition (locked joints), was observed in the salinecontrol group, the DMG group and the Perna group. The group treated withthe RNA polymerase did not elicit an inflammatory response nor anarthritic condition. (FIG. 1).

Antibodies to collagen type II were present in each test group. At thetime arthritis was manifested, the titer of antibody to collagen type IIin the saline, DMG, and Perna groups was abruptly higher, above the 1.1ELISA units at which arthritis occurs (FIG. 2). The non-arthritic grouptreated with RNA polymerase did not have an abrupt increase in collagentype II antibody titer. The RNA polymerase group antibody titer did notrise above the 0.1 ELISA units considered to indicate arthritis, butgradually increased, then leveled off at a titer below the 1.1 ELISAunit level.

Daily administration of low levels of RNA polymerase to DBA/IJ mice thathad developed arthritis, as a result of injection with CII, reduced theswelling and stiffness of the joints within three days. The animals weresymptom-free within five days and remained symptom-free for the 10 dayduration of the experiment. The mice that were treated with saline afterdeveloping arthritis did not have their symptoms reversed at ten days,after which the mice were sacrificed.

Seven saline control mice that had developed arthritis (locked joints)from collagen induction were collected from several experiments andtreated with 0.4 units of RNA polymerase daily until symptoms subsided(5 days). Blood samples were taken at the beginning of RNA polymerasetreatment and at 5 days. Rheumatoid factor was determined by ELISAassay. The results of this experiment are shown in Table I.

                  TABLE I                                                         ______________________________________                                        Effect of RNA Polymerase on Rheumatoid Factor (RF) Titer                      in Arthritic Mice                                                                    RF Titers (ELISA Units)                                                Animal No.                                                                             Locked Joints                                                                             Unlocked Joints                                                                            % Decrease                                  ______________________________________                                        1        0.687       0.546        21                                          2        1.107       0.898        19                                          3        0.735       0.470        36                                          4        0.680       0.532        22                                          5        0.747       0.598        20                                          6        0.672       0.556        17                                          7        1.050       0.605        42                                          ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE II

A 20 year old mixed breed gelding with chronic foundering for theprevious 10 years was treated with a single administration per day of0.4 units of RNA polymerase subcutaneously in the neck for six days. TheRNA polymerase for this study was prepared by using a concentration of0.4 units (0.15 μg) of enzyme per dose. The enzyme concentrate was firstinactivated in 0.4% phenol saline for 4 hours, then diluted with sterilesaline for injection. All RNA polymerase preparations in Examples Ithrough XVI were similarly prepared.

The owner continued to feed the horse excessively. The animal showedsignificant improvement after three days of treatment and wassymptom-free within 6 days. The horse continues to be symptom-free untilthe present, a period of four months.

EXAMPLE III

A 12 year old Morgan mare was diagnosed by x-ray to have spavin in thehock (arthritis). The horse was treated with a daily subcutaneousadministration of 0.4 units of RNA polymerase for six days. The horseshowed dramatic improvement within six days and had no symptoms ofarthritis for the next five months.

EXAMPLE IV

An 18 year old mare had severely limited vision, no hair around its eyesand the area around the eyes was heavily pigmented. The horse wasdiagnosed with autoimmune retinopathy (Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome)and was treated subcutaneously in the neck with a single dose of 0.4units of RNA polymerase subcutaneously per day. After six days oftreatment, the horse's vision had improved, the pigment around the eyesbegan to reappear and hair around the eyes was restored. The horse'scondition continues to be normal two and one-half months aftertreatment.

EXAMPLE V

A 10 year old mare with severe foundering, as well as autoimmuneretinopathy (Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome) characterized by hair lossaround the eyes and loss of pigment around the eye, was treated with adaily subcutaneous dose in the neck of 0.4 units of RNA polymerase. Thehorse reversed its foundering and retinopathy tendencies within sixdays.

EXAMPLE VI

A 9 year old gelding quarter horse with a severe puncture wound in thehock causing extensive fluid discharge and inflammation as well as skinscarring was treated with a single subcutaneous administration in theneck per day for six consecutive days of 0.4 units of RNA polymerase.The horse responded very well to six days of treatment after which thehorse was recovered from the abnormalities.

EXAMPLE VII

A 26 year old Appaloosa gelding with a systemic lupus erythematosus(eyes swollen shut and foundering in all four feet which did not respondto treatments such as banamine and butadiazol) was treated with a singlesubcutaneous administration in the neck per day of 0.4 units of RNApolymerase for six consecutive days. The horse's swollen eyes andinflammation of the lamina was dramatically reduced with three days oftreatment and after six days of treatment, the horse was nearly normal.The horse continued to improve and was symptom-free within one andone-half weeks. Five months later, the horse is still symptom-free.

EXAMPLE VIII

Two 8 week old puppies with Staphylococcus induced pyodermas (swellingremaining after Staphylococcus infections were cured with lincomycin andcephalosporin) were treated with a single subcutaneous administration inthe neck of 0.4 units of RNA polymerase per day for six consecutivedays. The swelling was gone within three days and has not returned ineither puppy.

EXAMPLE IX

A 12 week old German Shepherd with severe hip dysplasia which did notrespond to steroid therapy was treated with a single subcutaneousadministration in the neck per day of 0.4 units of RNA polymerase forsix consecutive days. After the six days of treatment, the dysplasia wasgone and the dog continues to show no signs of hip dysplasia.

EXAMPLE X

A 3 year old quarter horse with severe laminitis was treated with asingle subcutaneous administration in the neck per day of 0.4 units ofRNA polymerase for eight days. The horse's inflammation of the laminawas dramatically reduced with the six days of treatment. After two moredays of treatment, the horse's inflammation was completely cured. Thehorse is now racing again.

Example XI

A 7 year old Thoroughbred with severe degenerative osselet disorder wastreated with a single subcutaneous administration in the neck per day of0.4 units of RNA polymerase per day for six days. The horse recoveredcompletely and is now back racing.

EXAMPLE XII

A 25 year old female with lupus erythematosus was treated with a singlesubcutaneous administration per day for six consecutive days of 0.4units of RNA polymerase. After three days of treatment, the woman showedmarked lessening of joint pain, lessening of the extreme fatigueassociated with lupus, and decreased swelling of the membranes andtissue around the eyes. After six days of treatment, the patientexhibited no disease symptoms. The patient has remained symptom-free forseveral months.

EXAMPLE XIII

A 32 year old female with systemic lupus erythematosus was treated withtwice daily sublingual doses of 0.4 units of RNA polymerase for sevenconsecutive days. She was free of disease symptoms after the seven daysof treatment and has remained free of symptoms for over a year taking asublingual dose of 0.4 units of RNA polymerase on an as needed basis atthe earliest sign of a disease symptom.

EXAMPLE XIV

An eleven year old gelding quarter horse diagnosed as having probably apermanent stifle joint inflammation that was refractory to othertreatments was treated with one month of daily 0.5 ml subcutaneousinjections of 0.4 units of RNA polymerase from the T3 bacteriophagepurchased from Pharmacia LKB Technologies (Piscataway, N.J.). The onlydrug the horse was given at the time was the T3 RNA polymerase. Thehorse put weight on the leg for the first time in 2 years, when thefarrier shod it in March of 1992. As of December 1992, the horse wasstill doing very well and did not exhibit any symptoms of the formerstifle joint inflammation.

EXAMPLE XV

An eight year old German Shepherd with hip dysplasia was treated with a0.5 ml dose of 0.4 units of T3 RNA polymerase (Pharmacia LKBTechnologies, Piscataway, N.J.) After six consecutive daily treatments,the animal's condition was greatly improved. The animal has remainedsymptom free.

EXAMPLE XVI

A twenty-five year old gelding with severe arthritis of the spine thatdid not respond to steroid or other therapies was treated with a 0.5 mldose of 0.4 units of T3 RNA polymerase (Pharmacia LKB Technologies,Piscataway, N.J.) After six daily subcutaneous injections of the drug,the horse's coordination and ability to move were much improved.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates only topreferred embodiments of the present invention and that numerousmodifications or alterations may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

I claim:
 1. A composition for treating an inflammatory autoimmunedysfunction comprising a therapeutically effective amount ofribonucleotide polymerase and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,wherein the therapeutically effective amount of ribonucleotidepolymerase is between 10⁻² and 10⁻⁸ mg.
 2. The composition of claim 1,wherein the ribonucleotide polymerase is selected from the groupconsisting of RNA polymerase, reverse transcriptase and a mixturethereof.
 3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the ribonucleotidepolymerase is RNA polymerase.
 4. The composition of claim 1, wherein thepharmaceutically acceptable carrier is a solid.
 5. The composition ofclaim 1, wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is atime-release matrix.
 6. The composition of claim 1, wherein thepharmaceutically acceptable carrier is saline.
 7. The composition ofclaim 6, wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier furthercomprises phenol at a concentration of approximately 0.1%.
 8. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the ribonucleotide polymerase isinactivated.
 9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the therapeuticallyeffective amount of ribonucleotide polymerase is between 10⁻³ and 10⁻⁷mg.
 10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the therapeuticallyeffective amount of ribonucleotide polymerase is between 10⁻³ and 10⁻⁴mg, and wherein the ribonucleotide polymerase has a specific activity ofbetween 0.04 to 100 units of activity.
 11. The composition of claim 1,wherein the inflammatory autoimmune dysfunction is selected from thegroup consisting of Lupus, laminitis, dermatitis and arthritis.
 12. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the inflammatory autoimmune dysfunctionis selected from the group consisting of multiple sclerosis andpolymyositis.
 13. A composition for treating multiple sclerosiscomprising a therapeutically effective amount of ribonucleotidepolymerase and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein thetherapeutically effective amount of ribonucleotide polymerase is between10⁻² and 10⁻⁸ mg.
 14. The composition of claim 13, wherein theribonucleotide polymerase is RNA polymerase.
 15. The composition ofclaim 13, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of ribonucleotidepolymerase is between 10⁻³ and 10⁻⁷ mg.
 16. The composition of claim 13,wherein the therapeutically effective amount of ribonucleotidepolymerase is between 10⁻³ and 10⁻⁴ mg, and wherein the ribonucleotidepolymerase has a specific activity of between 0.04 to 100 units ofactivity.